U.S. patent number 9,265,022 [Application Number 11/445,741] was granted by the patent office on 2016-02-16 for multiple registrations with different access networks.
This patent grant is currently assigned to QUALCOMM Incorporated. The grantee listed for this patent is Manoj M. Deshpande, Kirti Gupta, Ranjith Jayaram, Arnaud Meylan, Sanjiv Nanda. Invention is credited to Manoj M. Deshpande, Kirti Gupta, Ranjith Jayaram, Arnaud Meylan, Sanjiv Nanda.
United States Patent |
9,265,022 |
Gupta , et al. |
February 16, 2016 |
Multiple registrations with different access networks
Abstract
The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device that
is capable of accessing different types of networks at the same
time. The mobile device registers a public ID with a first IP
address over a first access network and also registers the same
public ID with a different IP address over a second access network.
Additional registrations and IP addresses may occur as well. Of
particular benefit is that the different registrations are active
during at least some concurrent period of time. This allows a user
of the mobile device to have improved continuity of service, select
preferred access methods, and receive different data services
simultaneously.
Inventors: |
Gupta; Kirti (San Diego,
CA), Deshpande; Manoj M. (San Diego, CA), Jayaram;
Ranjith (San Diego, CA), Meylan; Arnaud (San Diego,
CA), Nanda; Sanjiv (Ramona, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gupta; Kirti
Deshpande; Manoj M.
Jayaram; Ranjith
Meylan; Arnaud
Nanda; Sanjiv |
San Diego
San Diego
San Diego
San Diego
Ramona |
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
QUALCOMM Incorporated (San
Diego, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
38790019 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/445,741 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20070280154 A1 |
Dec 6, 2007 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W
88/06 (20130101); H04W 76/15 (20180201); H04W
80/04 (20130101); H04W 60/005 (20130101); H04W
8/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04W
60/00 (20090101); H04W 80/04 (20090101); H04W
88/06 (20090101); H04W 8/04 (20090101); H04W
76/02 (20090101) |
Field of
Search: |
;370/328,338 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Shivers; Ashley
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Moskowitz; Larry
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for communicating respective media over multiple access
networks, comprising: registering a user associated with a device
with a media gateway of an IP core network using a first IP address
over a first access network using a user credential; registering
the user with the media gateway of the IP core network using a
second IP address over a second access network using the same user
credential while maintaining the registration of the first IP
address with the user credential; and receiving at least one first
service from the IP core network via the first access network based
on the registration of the user with the media gateway using the
first IP address while simultaneously receiving at least one second
service from the IP core network via the second access network
based on the registration of the user with the media gateway using
the second IP address, wherein the at least one first service is a
type of service that is different from the at least one second
service.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first access network and the
second access network comprise different types of networks, wherein
registering with the first access network further comprises
registering with one of a wireless local area network or a cellular
network, and wherein registering with the second access network
further comprises registering with the other of the wireless local
area network or the cellular network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein registering using the user
credential further includes registering using at least one of a
public identity, a private identifier of the user, and
authentication data, or a combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein registering using the user
credential further includes registering using information related
to service subscriptions for the user included with the user
credential.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a
plurality of services to access; and registering to receive
different ones of the plurality of services from a selected one of
the first access network and the second access network based on
each identified one of the plurality of services.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected one of the first
access network and the second access network is based on one or
more attributes of the first access network.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected one of the first
access network and the second access network is based on one or
more attributes of the second access network.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected one of the first
access network and the second access network is based on one or
more attributes of the identified one of the plurality of
services.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of services
comprise a first data service associated with the first access
network and a second data service associated with the second access
network, wherein the first data service and the second data service
are different types of data services.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first data service is one of
VoIP, short message service, video sharing, and push-to-talk.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second data service is one
of VoIP, short message service, video sharing, and
push-to-talk.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering to
receive different ones of a plurality of services from a selected
one of the first access network and the second access network based
on whether or not media is optimized for the respective access
network.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least
one of first data corresponding to the first service from the first
access network or second data corresponding to the second service
from the second access network.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the first data or the
second data further comprises simultaneously receiving both the
first data and the second data.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first service
is a push-to-talk type service and the at least one second service
is a video streaming type service.
16. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively
registering to receive a first set of services from the first
access network based on one or more decision factors, and a second
set of services from the second access network based on one or more
of the decision factors, such that the first set of services is
registered to be received from the first access network and the
second set of services is registered to be received from the second
access network, wherein the first set of services comprises types
of services that are different from those of the second set of
services, and wherein the one or more decision factors include at
least one of a power usage associated with receiving a respective
service from a respective access network, a billing model
associated with receiving a respective service from a respective
access network, a bandwidth associated with a respective access
network, and a coverage area associated with a respective access
network.
17. A mobile communications device for communication respective
media over multiple access networks, comprising: a first
transceiver configured for communication with a first access
network; a second transceiver configured for communication with a
second access network; a user credential; a processor configured to
execute instructions to: transmit the user credential to the first
access network to register a user associated with a first IP
address with a media gateway of an IP core network over the first
access network using the user credential; transmit the user
credential to the second access network to register the user with a
second IP address with the media gateway of the IP core network
over the second access network using the same user credential while
maintaining the registration of the first IP address with the user
credential; and receive at least one first service from the IP core
network via the first access network based on the registration of
the user with the media gateway using the first IP address while
simultaneously receiving at least one second service from the IP
core network via the second access network based on the
registration of the user with the media gateway using the second IP
address, wherein the at least one first service is a type of
service that is different from the at least one second service.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein the first access network and
the second access network comprise different ones of a wireless
local area network and a cellular network.
19. The device of claim 17, wherein the user credential includes at
least one of a public identity, a private identifier of the user,
and authentication data, or a combination thereof.
20. The device of claim 17, wherein the user credential includes
information related to service subscriptions for the user.
21. The device of claim 17, further comprising a memory accessible
by the processor, wherein the user credential is stored the
memory.
22. The device of claim 21, wherein the memory is detachable from
the device.
23. The device of claim 17, further comprising selectively
registering to receive different ones of a plurality of services
from a selected one of the first access network or the second
access network according to a decision factor comprising whether or
not media is optimized for the respective access network.
24. The device of claim 17, further comprising at least one of the
first transceiver receiving first data corresponding to the first
service from the first access network or the second transceiver
receiving second data corresponding to the second service from the
second access network.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein the first transceiver and the
second transceiver simultaneously receive the first data and the
second data.
26. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least one first service
is a push-to-talk type service and the at least one second service
is a video streaming type service.
27. The device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further
configured to execute instructions to selectively register to
receive a first set of services from the first access network based
on one or more decision factors, and a second set of services from
the second access network based on one or more of the decision
factors, such that the first set of services is registered to be
received from the first access network and the second set of
services is registered to be received from the second access
network, wherein the first set of services comprises types of
services that are different from those of the second set of
services, and wherein the one or more decision factors include at
least one of a power usage associated with receiving a respective
service from a respective access network, a billing model
associated with receiving a respective service from a respective
access network, a bandwidth associated with a respective access
network, and a coverage area associated with a respective access
network.
28. A non-transitory computer readable storage media containing
programming instructions for communicating respective media over
multiple access networks, that upon execution thereof, causes one
or more processors of a mobile device to perform the steps of:
registering of a user associated with a device with a media gateway
of an IP core network using a first IP address over a first access
network using a user credential; registering the user with the
media gateway of the IP core network using a second IP address over
a second access network using the same user credential while
maintaining the registration of the first IP address with the user
credential; and receiving at least one first service from the IP
core network via the first access network based on the registration
of the user with the media gateway using the first IP address while
simultaneously receiving at least one second service from the IP
core network via the second access network based on the
registration of the user with the media gateway using the second IP
address, wherein the at least one first service is a type of
service that is different from the at least one second service.
29. The media of claim 28, wherein the first access network and the
second access network comprise different types of networks, wherein
registering with the first access network further comprises
registering with a wireless local area network or a cellular
network, and wherein registering with the second access network
further comprises registering with the wireless local area network
or the cellular network.
30. The media of claim 28, wherein the user credential includes at
least one of a public identity, a private identifier of the user,
and authentication data, or a combination thereof.
31. The media of claim 28, wherein the user credential includes
information related to service subscriptions for the user.
32. The media of claim 28, further comprising identifying a
plurality of services to access, and registering to receive
different ones of the plurality of services from a selected one of
the first access network and the second access network based on
each identified one of the plurality of services.
33. The media of claim 32, wherein the selected one of the first
access network and the second access network is based on one or
more attributes of the first access network, or one or more
attributes of the first access network, or one or more attributes
of the identified one of the plurality of services.
34. A mobile device for communicating respective media over
multiple access networks, comprising: means for registering a user
associated with a device with a media gateway of an IP core network
using a first IP address over a first access network using a user
credential; means for registering the user with the media gateway
of the IP core network using a second IP address over a second
access network using the same user credential while maintaining the
registration of the first IP address with the user credential; and
means for receiving at least one first service from the IP core
network via the first access network based on the registration of
the user with the media gateway using the first IP address while
simultaneously receiving at least one second service from the IP
core network via the second access network based on the
registration of the user with the media gateway using the second IP
address, wherein the at least one first service is a type of
service that is different from the at least one second service.
35. The device of claim 34, further comprising means for
identifying a plurality of services to access, and means for
selectively registering to receive different ones of a plurality of
services from a selected one of the first access network and the
second access network based on each identified one of the plurality
of services.
36. The device of claim 35, wherein the selected one of the first
access network and the second access network is based on one or
more attributes of the first access network, or one or more
attributes of the first access network, or one or more attributes
of the identified one of the plurality of services.
37. The device of claim 34, further comprising means for
selectively registering to receive different ones of a plurality of
services from a selected one of the first access network or the
second access network according to whether or not media is
optimized for the respective access network.
38. The device of claim 34, wherein the means for further comprises
means for receiving at least one of first data corresponding to the
at least one first service from the first access network or second
data corresponding to the at least one second service from the
second access network.
39. The device of claim 38, wherein the means for receiving the
first data or the second data further comprises means for
simultaneously receiving both the first data and the second
data.
40. A mobile device configured for communicating respective media
over multiple access networks, comprising: a first module for
registering a user associated with a device with a media gateway of
an IP core network using a first IP address over a first access
network using a user credential; a second module for registering
the user with the media gateway of the IP core network using a
second IP address over a second access network using the same user
credential while maintaining the registration of the first IP
address with the user credential; and a third module for receiving
at least one first service from the IP core network via the first
access network based on the registration of the user with the media
gateway using the first IP address while simultaneously receiving
at least one second service from the IP core network via the second
access network based on the registration of the user with the media
gateway using the first IP address, wherein the at least one first
service is a type of service that is different from the at least
one second service.
41. The mobile device of claim 40, further comprising a fourth
module for identifying a plurality of services to access, and a
fifth module for selectively registering to receive different ones
of a plurality of services from a selected one of the first access
network and the second access network based on each identified one
of the plurality of services.
42. The mobile device of claim 40, wherein the selected one of the
first access network and the second access network is based on one
or more attributes of the first access network, or one or more
attributes of the first access network, or one or more attributes
of the identified one of the plurality of services.
43. The mobile device of claim 40, further comprising a fourth
module for selectively registering to receive different ones of a
plurality of services from a selected one of the first access
network and the second access network according to whether or not
media is optimized for the respective access network.
44. The mobile device of claim 40, further comprising a fourth
module for receiving at least one of first data corresponding to
the at least one first service from the first access network or
second data corresponding to the at least one second service from
the second access network.
45. The mobile device of claim 44, wherein the fourth module is
further for simultaneously receiving both the first data and the
second data.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to telecommunications, and
more particularly, to systems and methods to support a mobile
communications device capable of communicating via two different
types of communication networks.
2. Background
The demand for wireless information services has led to the
development of an ever increasing number of wireless networks.
CDMA2000 1x is just one example of a wireless network that provides
wide area telephony and data services. CDMA2000 1x is a wireless
standard promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project 2
(3GPP2) using code division multiple access (CDMA) technology. CDMA
is a technology that allows multiple users to share a common
communications medium using spread-spectrum processing. A competing
wireless network that is commonly employed in Europe is Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Unlike CDMA2000 1x, GSM
uses narrowband time division multiple access (TDMA) to support
wireless telephony and data services. Some other wireless networks
include General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) which supports high
speed data services with data rates suitable for e-mail and web
browsing applications, and Universal Mobile Telecommunications
System (UMTS) which can deliver broadband voice and data for audio
and video applications. Other access technologies include EV-DO and
High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA).
These wireless networks can generally be thought of as wide area
networks employing cellular technology. Cellular technology is
based on a topology in which the geographic coverage region is
broken up into cells. Within each of these cells is a fixed base
transceiver station (BTS) that communicates with mobile users. A
base station controller (BSC) is typically employed in the
geographic coverage region to control the BTSs and route
communications to the appropriate gateways for the various
packet-switched and circuit-switched networks.
As the demand for wireless information services continue to
increase, mobile devices are evolving to support integrated voice,
data, and streaming media while providing seamless network coverage
between wide area cellular networks and wireless local area
networks (LAN). Wireless LANs generally provide telephony and data
services over relatively small geographic regions using a standard
protocol, such as IEEE 802.11, or the like. The existence of
wireless LANs provides a unique opportunity to increase user
capacity in a wide area cellular network by extending cellular
communications to the unlicensed spectrum using the infrastructure
of the wireless LAN.
Recently, various techniques have been employed to enable mobile
devices to communicate with different wireless networks.
Accordingly, mobile devices may benefit from being able to
communicate with multiple networks at the same time. Thus, there
exists the need to allow such communications to take place in a
seamless manner that satisfies users' requirements for speed,
economy, efficiency, and capabilities.
SUMMARY
In a first aspect, a method for exchanging respective data over
multiple access networks is presented. According to this method a
public identity of a user associated with a device is registered
with a first IP address using a user credential; and the public
identity of the user is also registered with a second IP address
using the same credential while maintaining the registration of the
first IP address with the public identity.
In another aspect, a mobile device that includes a first
transceiver for exchanging first data over a first type of access
network, a second transceiver for exchanging second data over a
second type of access network; and a user credential is presented.
The device also includes a processor configured to execute
instructions to a) transmit the user credential to an IP network in
order to register a public identity with a first IP address
associated with the first type of access network; and b) transmit
the same user credential to the IP network in order to register the
public identity with a second IP address associated with the second
type of access network, wherein the registration of the first IP
address and the registration of the second IP address with the
public identity are active at the same time.
In yet another aspect, a method of providing continuity of services
using a mobile device capable of exchanging respective data over
multiple access networks is presented. This method includes
registering a public identity of a user associated with a device
with a first IP address using a user credential and registering the
public identity with a second IP address using the same credential
while maintaining the registration of the first IP address with the
public identity. Also, the method includes communicating with a
data service using the first IP address and then terminating
communicating with the data service using the first IP address.
However, communicating with the data service continues using the
second IP address without re-registering with the data service
during or after terminating communicating using the first IP
address.
In still a further aspect, a method of providing services over
preferred access, for the services available to a mobile device
capable of exchanging respective data over multiple access networks
is presented. In accordance with this method, a public identity of
a user associated with a device is registered with a first IP
address using a user credential and the public identity of the user
is also registered with a second IP address using the same
credential while maintaining the registration of the first IP
address with the public identity. Additionally, the mobile device
uses the first IP address when communicating data over a first
access network and the second IP address when communicating data
over a second access network.
In an additional aspect, a method of providing concurrent access to
data services using a mobile device capable of exchanging
respective data over multiple access networks is presented. In
accordance with this method a public identity of a user associated
with a device is registered with a first IP address using a user
credential and the public identity of the user is also registered
with a second IP address using the same credential while
maintaining the registration of the first IP address with the
public identity. Also, a first data service is communicated with
using the first IP address over a first access network while a
second data service is communicated with using the second IP
address over a second access network during at least a portion of
the time that communicating with the first data service is
occurring.
In one more aspect, a mobile device for exchanging respective data
over multiple access networks is presented. In accordance with this
aspect, the device includes a first transceiver for exchanging
first data over a first type of access network and a second
transceiver for exchanging second data over a second type of access
network. Also included is a means for registering a public identity
of a user associated with the mobile device with a first IP address
using a user credential and registering the public identity of the
user with a second IP address using the same credential while
maintaining the registration of the first IP address with the
public identity.
It is understood that other embodiments of the present invention
will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the
following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described
only various embodiments of the invention by way of illustration.
As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and
different embodiments and its several details are capable of
modification in various other respects, all without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the
drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as
illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various aspects of a wireless communications system are illustrated
by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1A is a conceptual block diagram of an embodiment of a
wireless communications system;
FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a
mobile device capable of supporting both cellular and wireless LAN
communications; and
FIG. 2 depicts a conceptual block diagram of a mobile device
concurrently registered with two different access networks; and
FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method for concurrently
registering a mobile device with at least two different access
networks.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the
appended drawings is intended as a description of various
embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the
only embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The
detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of
providing a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may
be practiced without these specific details. In some instances,
well known structures and components are shown in block diagram
form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the invention.
In the following detailed description, various techniques will be
described in connection with the handoff of a mobile user from one
network to another. A number of these techniques will be described
in the context of a mobile communications device traveling through
a wide area cellular network with one or more wireless LANs
dispersed throughout the cellular coverage region. The mobile
communications device may be any suitable device capable of
wireless telephony or data communications, such as a cellular phone
designed for operation in a CDMA2000 1x network. The mobile
communications device may be capable of employing any suitable
protocol for accessing a wireless LAN, including, by way of
example, IEEE 802.11. While these techniques may be described in
the context of a cellular phone capable of communicating with an
IEEE 802.11 network, those skilled in the art will readily
appreciate that these techniques can be extended to other mobile
communication devices capable of accessing multiple networks. For
instance, these techniques may be applied to a mobile
communications device capable of switching between a CDMA2000 1x
network and a GSM network. Accordingly, any reference to a cellular
phone capable of communicating with an IEEE 802.11 network, or any
other specific embodiment, is intended only to illustrate various
aspects of the present invention, with the understanding that these
aspects have a wide range of applications.
FIG. 1A is a conceptual block diagram of an embodiment of a
wireless communications system. A mobile device 102 is shown moving
through a wide area cellular network 104 by a series of broken
lines. The mobile device 102 can be equipped with wide area
wireless connectivity, for example, utilizing the following
technologies: third generation wireless or cellular systems (3G),
Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16
(WiMax), and other to-be-defined Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)
technologies. Meanwhile, IEEE 802.11 based Wireless Local Area
Network (WLAN) connectivity may be installed in the mobile device
102 as well. Ultra-wideband (UWB) and/or Bluetooth-based Wireless
Personal Area Network (WPAN) local connectivity may also be
available in the mobile device 102. The cellular network 104
includes a BSC 106 supporting a number of BTSs dispersed throughout
the cellular coverage region. A single BTS 108 is shown in FIG. 1A
for simplicity of explanation. A mobile switching center (MSC) 110
may be used to provide a gateway to a public switched telephone
network (PSTN) 112. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, the cellular
network 104 may employ numerous BSCs each supporting any number of
BTSs to extend the geographic reach of the cellular network 104.
When multiple BSCs are employed throughout the cellular network
104, the MSC 110 may also be used to coordinate communications
between the BSCs.
One or more wireless LANs may be dispersed throughout the cellular
coverage region of the cellular network 104. A single wireless LAN
114 is shown in FIG. 1A. The wireless LAN 114 may be an IEEE 802.11
network, or any other suitable network. The wireless LAN 114
includes an access point 116 for the mobile device 102 to
communicate with an IP network 118. A server 120 may be used to
interface the IP network 118 to the MSC 110, which provides a
gateway to the PSTN 112.
When power is initially applied to the mobile device 102, it will
attempt to access either the cellular network 104 or the wireless
LAN 114. The decision to access a particular network may depend on
a variety of factors relating to the specific application and
overall design constraints. By way of example, the mobile device
102 may be configured to access the wireless LAN 114 when the
service quality meets a minimum threshold. To the extent the
wireless LAN 114 can be used to support mobile telephony and data
communications, valuable cellular bandwidth may be freed up for
other mobile users.
The mobile device 102 may be configured to continuously search for
a beacon from the access point 116, or any other access point of a
wireless LAN. The beacon is a periodic signal transmitted by the
access point 116 with synchronization information. In the event
that the mobile device 102 cannot detect a beacon, which might be
the case if power is applied to the mobile device 102 at location
A, then the mobile device 102 attempts to access the cellular
network 104. The mobile device 102 may access the cellular network
104 by acquiring a pilot signal from the BTS 108. Once the pilot
signal is acquired, a radio connection may be established between
the mobile device 102 and the BTS 108 by means well known in the
art. The mobile device 102 may use the radio connection with the
BTS 108 to register with the MSC 110 (circuit switched network) as
well as the IP core network. Registration is the process by which
the mobile device 102 makes its whereabouts known to the cellular
network 104. When the registration process is complete, the mobile
device 102 may enter into an idle state until a call or session is
initiated, either by the mobile device 102 or the PSTN 112 or any
other entity present in the IP network. Either way, an air traffic
link may be established between the mobile device 102 and the BTS
108 to set up and support the call or the session.
When the mobile device 102 moves through the cellular network 104
from location A to location B in the depicted embodiment, it is now
able to detect a beacon from the access point 116. Once this
occurs, a radio connection may be established between the two by
means well known in the art. The mobile device 102 then obtains the
IP address of the server 120. The mobile device 102 may use the
services of a Domain Name Server (DNS) to determine the server's IP
address. The domain name of the server 120 may be delivered to the
mobile device 102 over the cellular network 104. With the IP
address, the mobile device 102 can establish a registration with a
server 120 of an IP core network.
FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a
mobile device capable of supporting both cellular and wireless LAN
communications. The mobile device 102 may include a cellular
transceiver 202 and a wireless LAN transceiver 204. In at least one
embodiment of the mobile device 102, the cellular transceiver 202
is capable of supporting CDMA2000 1x communications with a BTS (not
shown), and the wireless LAN transceiver 204 is capable of
supporting IEEE 802.11 communications with an access point (not
shown). Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, however,
that the concepts described in connection with the mobile device
102 can be extended to other cellular and wireless LAN
technologies. Each transceiver 202, 204 is shown with a separate
antenna 206, 207, respectively, but the transceivers 202, 204 could
share a single broadband antenna. Each antenna 206, 207 may be
implemented with one or more radiating elements.
The mobile device 102 is also shown with a processor 208 coupled to
both transceivers 202, 204, however, a separate processor may be
used for each transceiver in alternative embodiments of the mobile
device 102. The processor 208 may be implemented as hardware,
firmware, software, or any combination thereof. By way of example,
the processor 208 may include a microprocessor (not shown). The
microprocessor may be used to support software applications that,
among other things, (1) control and manage access to the cellular
network and wireless LAN, and (2) interface the processor 208 to
the keypad 210, display, 212, and other user interfaces (not
shown). The processor 208 may also include a digital signal
processor (DSP) (not shown) with an embedded software layer that
supports various signal processing functions, such as convolutional
encoding, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) functions, modulation, and
spread-spectrum processing. The DSP may also perform vocoder
functions to support telephony applications. The manner in which
the processor 208 is implemented will depend on the particular
application and the design constraints imposed on the overall
system. Those skilled in the art will recognize the
interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software
configurations under these circumstances, and how best to implement
the described functionality for each particular application.
For certain purposes known in the art, the signal strength from the
access point may be measured at the mobile device 102 with a
received signal strength indicator (RSSI) block 216. The RSSI is
most likely an existing signal that is fed back to the wireless LAN
transceiver 202 for automatic gain control, and therefore, can be
provided to the processor 208 without increasing the circuit
complexity of the mobile device 102. Alternatively, the quality of
the radio connection may be determined from the beacon.
The processor 208 may be configured to execute an algorithm to
register with different access networks. These networks provide a
communications path for the delivery of various data services. The
algorithm may be implemented as one or more software applications
supported by the microprocessor based architecture discussed
earlier and stored in the accessible memory 211. Alternatively, the
algorithm may be a module separate from the processor 208. The
module may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any
combination thereof. Depending on the specific design constraints,
the algorithm could be integrated into any entity in the mobile
device 102, or distributed across multiple entities in the mobile
device 102.
FIG. 2 depicts a mobile device 250 that can communicate with at
least two different types of communication networks. An exemplary
embodiment of the mobile device 250 may be the mobile device 102
shown in FIG. 1B. In FIG. 2, only two networks are explicitly
shown--one is a cellular network and the other is a packet-switched
network such as a wireless LAN. Thus, the mobile device 250 may
register using an access point 280 to access the IP core network
and may register using the cellular network pathway to access the
IP core network. As mentioned earlier, other types of networks and
various types of technologies are contemplated as well.
Accordingly, the mobile device may simultaneous use a variety of
different access technologies such as cellular and WLAN to access
the IP core network. The IP core network provides variety of IP
multimedia services such as voice over IP, video telephony, instant
messaging, push to talk, gaming, etc.
Details of IP core network and its connectivity to the different
access technologies are illustrated in FIG. 2. The system 120 of
FIG. 1A is more comprehensively described as an IP Multimedia
Subsystem (IMS) domain 264 as depicted in FIG. 2. The IMS domain
has a number of different systems providing the following
functions, for example: servers providing IP based services such as
SIP servers and SIP registrars (known as Call Session Control
Function, CSCF) 266, servers providing interworking with legacy
PSTN networks such as MGCF 276 and MGW 274, servers providing
interworking with CS cellular networks such as VCC AS (not shown).
Also, a plurality of multimedia Application servers 272 can be
included that provide different services to the mobile device 250.
it is these different application servers 272 that provide a
variety of services to the mobile device 250 using either the
cellular network, the wireless LAN, or both.
The specific servers identified in FIG. 2 are exemplary in nature
and fewer or more servers can be included without departing from
the scope of the present invention. In general, one function of the
IMS domain 264 is that of mapping signaling and voice
communications between the packet-switched network and a
circuit-switched network to thereby permit communications between
the two. The IMS domain 264 may, for example, provide a SIP based
network connection for a mobile device 250. The Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used for establishing
sessions in an IP network. A session could be a simple two-way
telephone call or it could be a collaborative multi-media
conference session. The ability to establish these sessions means
that a host of innovative services become possible, such as
voice-enriched e-commerce, web page click-to-dial, Instant
Messaging with buddy lists, and IP Centrex services. Some other
aspects illustrated by FIG. 2 are the inclusion of the HSS server
270 which is the home subscriber server and serves the same
function as the HLR in legacy circuit switched networks; and the
connection between the PSTN 262 and the IMS domain 264.
The other cellular network elements in FIG. 2 have been described
previously such as the BTS 252, the BSC 254, the MSC 256, the VLR
258, the HLR/AC 260 and the PSTN 262. The mobile device 250 can
access both the cellular network or a packet switched network, such
as a wireless LAN, using the packet data gateway 278 and a packet
network access point 280.
In particular, the IMS domain may include a media gateway 274 that
converts transmissions between a packet stream from the IP network
and the a voice circuit-switched network such as the PSTN 262.
Thus, voice is carried in packets over the packet-switched network
and the media gateway 274, while voice is carried over voice
encoded communication circuits in a circuit-switched connection
between the media gateway 274 and the PSTN 262. A media gateway
control function (MGCF) 276 is also provided that operates to
terminate SIP signaling and control functions of the media gateway
274. In this regard, the MGCF 276 typically performs conversion
between SIP signaling in the IP session and SS7 signaling in the
circuit-switched session.
While the wireless LAN network is conventionally a packet-switched
network requiring a network address such as an IP address, the
services now available over many cellular networks may require an
IP address as well. For example, instant messaging, voice-over-IP,
short message service, push-to-talk, and video sharing are all
packet data services that are now available over cellular networks
in addition to more traditional IP networks, whether wireless or
wired. In FIG. 2, the wide variety of available services are
provided by the application servers 272 as well as by other
components in the IMS domain. Some of these services pass through
the media gateway 274 to be delivered to the mobile device 250 over
the wireless LAN or the cellular network and some of these services
can be provided without the participation of the media gateway 274.
The media gateway 274 may, for example, provide a SIP based network
connection for the mobile device. The Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP) is a signaling protocol used for establishing sessions in an
IP network. A session could be a simple two-way telephone call or
it could be a collaborative multi-media conference session. The
ability to establish these sessions means that a host of innovative
services become possible, such as voice-enriched e-commerce, web
page click-to-dial, Instant Messaging with buddy lists, and IP
Centrex services.
When the user of the mobile device 250 first accesses one of the
application servers 272, that user registers through the media
gateway 274 using a public identifier so that an IP address 251 is
associated with that public ID. Conventionally, if the user of the
mobile device 250 then wants to access data services through
another network connection, then the first IP address association
is terminated and the user registers that public ID with the
different network such that a second IP address 253 now becomes
associated with the public ID. The public ID may be any of a
variety of formats without departing from the scope of the present
invention. However, one exemplary format for the public ID
resembles an universal resource indicator (URI) address such as
User_name@network.com. Another public ID may resemble a
conventional phone number or similar identified. Because the media
gateway 274 is providing the IP network access, it maintains a list
or table of which public ID is associated with which IP
address.
FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method that differs
significantly from the conventional behavior just described. First,
in step 302, the mobile device is registered over one of the
networks and is assigned a first IP address. For example, if the
mobile device is within range of a wireless LAN access point, then
the mobile device performs the traditional registration and
receives its IP address. At that time or when the user of the
mobile accesses one or more of available data services, the public
ID of the user of the mobile device is then associated with that IP
address. This public ID may be manually entered by the user as part
of the initial registration process or it may be stored in a memory
of the mobile device and automatically retrieved during
registration.
Next, in step 304, the mobile device is used to access a different
type of network such as, for example, a W-CDMA cellular network
providing one or more packet data services. When the user of the
mobile device registers with this network, a different range of IP
addresses is available. Instead of terminating the first IP address
association, it is maintained and a second concurrent registration
occurs such that a second IP address is also associated with that
same public ID. As a result, in step 306, data services may be
delivered to the mobile device using either one of the IP
addresses. In other words, the registration of the two different IP
addresses with the same public ID associated therewith are active
at the same time.
Part of what uniquely identifies a user and a device can be
referred to as a user credential. These credential may include a
variety of information. For example, a user credential may include
the public ID, a private ID, home network domain URI and
authentication data (e.g., a key and/or secret). Using these
credentials, the mobile device and network can negotiate
registration of the device with the network. The user credentials
may also include information related to the services to which the
user has subscribed and what networks the user can access. The user
credentials may be stored within the phone in a rewritable memory
or in a removable memory that can be inserted in different mobile
devices. In implementing the method of FIG. 3, the same user
credentials are used for each of the multiple IP registrations that
occur. The user of the mobile device may, of course, manually
de-register the association with the first IP address if
desired.
This approach of having two IP addresses associated with the same
public ID provides a number of benefits. Three particular use cases
are described below as examples, others are contemplated as well
although not explicitly described.
Continuity of Services:
Streaming data services such as, for example, a video sharing
application, highlight the impact of changing IP addresses when
moving from one communications network to another. Other services
have similar problems but delivery of streaming data is
particularly degraded. A user of a mobile device may be under
wireless LAN coverage and is accessing streaming video data. If
this user then moves out of the wireless LAN coverage into an area
only serviced by a cellular network, then the IP address assigned
to the mobile device is changed. This requires the user of the
mobile device to re-register with the server (e.g., the media
gateway) providing access to the streaming video data. Using the
method of FIG. 3, however, the user would not have the streaming
video interrupted by the need to re-register. Instead, the user of
the mobile device could have two IP addresses associated with their
identity with one being used to provide data over the cellular
network and the other being used to deliver data over the wireless
LAN. Whenever movement of the mobile device caused one of the IP
addresses to no longer be useful, the data could continue being
delivered using the second IP address.
Preferred Access:
If only one IP address can be associated with a user at one time,
then the user will necessarily receive all services using that IP
address. There may be some instances in which the user prefers to
receive certain services over one type of network and other
services over a different type of network. For example, the
bandwidth available for data transmission within the different
types of networks may be different, such that a user would prefer
to receive high-bandwidth services over a particular network. Also,
the cost of using the different networks may vary such that a user
would prefer to use a wireless LAN for certain services instead of
a cellular network. Accordingly, when the method of FIG. 3 is
implemented, the user of a mobile device may be concurrently
registered with at least two different networks (possibly more).
This allows the user the ability to register for certain services
using one network and certain services using the other network.
Data from those services would then be delivered to the appropriate
IP address and, thereby, use the type of network which the user
prefers. Reasons for preferring one network over another can depend
on a number of factors such as bandwidth, coverage area, power
usage, billing model, and whether or not data is optimized for a
particular network.
In the previous example and description, the user is often
described as the party that determines which access network to use.
The registering of IP addresses may also occur under the control of
the network operator. For example, the mobile device may
automatically be registered with an IP address as soon as it enters
the coverage area of, for example, a W-CDMA cellular network
without any input from the user. Furthermore, if the network
operator wants to free some capacity within the cellular network,
then some voice calls could be transferred to VoIP using the
Wireless LAN without the user knowing of the transfer.
Simultaneous Services:
With the method of FIG. 3, a user of a mobile device may
simultaneous use different services. For example, a push-to-talk
service may be accessed over the cellular network and a video
streaming service accessed over a wireless LAN. In this scenario
then, the user could watch a video while simultaneously talking
about it to some other user (who may be watching the video
themselves).
It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in
the processes disclosed is an example of exemplary approaches.
Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific
order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged
while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. The
accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in
a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific
order or hierarchy presented.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits,
elements, and/or components described in connection with the
embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a
general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field
programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic
component, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware
components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the
functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a
microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any
conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state
machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of
computing components, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a
microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such
configuration.
The methods or algorithms described in connection with the
embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware,
in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination
of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash
memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard
disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage
medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to the
processor such that the processor can read information from, and
write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the
storage medium may be integral to the processor.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled
in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein.
Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent
to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined
herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the claims are
not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is
to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims,
wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to
mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather
"one or more." All structural and functional equivalents to the
elements of the various embodiments described throughout this
disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of
ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by
reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims.
Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to
the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly
recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under
the provisions of 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112, sixth paragraph, unless the
element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or, in
the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase
"step for."
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